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St. Matthew's is a wonderful school with a terrific sense of community and beautiful 30 acre campus. Perhaps because it starts in preschool, the children really get to know the younger and older siblings of their classmates which contributes to the family feel of the school. The teachers are bright, hardworking and enthusiastic. The school uses the same reading and math programs used at other top private schools, and there is a real emphasis placed on developing moral character. The teachers really make an effort to find public speaking opportunities for even the youngest children through terrific class plays and other school activities. The school strikes a wonderful balance with children receiving an excellent education while also enjoying their childhoods. A recent post noted a few preschool children are held back from starting Kindergarten (typically 1 or 2 out of a class of 28). This is really a function of the school matriculating children when they are 3 yrs. old with widely varying birthdays, a common issue at stand-alone private preschools with the youngest kids sometimes requiring an additional year of preschool before applying to private elementary schools.

- submitted by a parent

June 27, 2014

Pros of this school: Fantastic facilities, amazing campus. Safe beautiful school with grounds unlike any other in Los Angeles. Nice community. Cons: Not enough individualized attention. They kind of plod along with a one size fits all mentality. If you have a kid who is especially bright or interested in something, the administration will not respond to that interest or do something more with an individual child. For a kid who is ready for more stimulation, they will not accommodate that interest, i.e an interest to read or in learning numbers before they deem it appropriate. It starts at the Kindergarten, where they don't do enough splitting the kids by ability. It also seems to be that a lot of kids get held back, perhaps because there is not enough intervention and attention to the individual needs of the child.

- submitted by a parent

June 09, 2010

St. Matthew's Parish School teaches the children who attend all of the most important traits of being a good moral person.

- submitted by a parent

May 12, 2010

This is a wonderful caring school. They not only have a high academic standard but teach empathy and service. No school is perfect and as a small independent school they cannot offer accelerated classes in all topics but they care about the moral character development of each student.

No place will ever be perfect, but this is as close to a perfect school situation as one will experience. I have two children that spent a total of 15 years there, and they only have the best memories. The school leadership is great and the teachers are experienced, caring, and in many ways go beyond the call of duty. Yes, kids can sometimes be catty, but that is everywhere. Part of life is learning to deal with it.

- submitted by a parent

August 06, 2008

St. Matthew's is an incredibly wonderful school. I have not found the parents or leadership to be 'snootier' than any other local private school. I would agree, however, that the math program is not as rigorous as it could be, particularly for those students who have a high math aptitude.

- submitted by a parent

no rating
July 24, 2008

St. Mathew's is a good school but it is very taken with itself. The parents and leadership are very snooty and think they're better than everyone else...not a very Christian world view. Their math program is drivel.

- submitted by a parent

January 13, 2008

I don't know what the other review was all about. St. Matthew's is an exellent school with great teachers and very nice students. For example, when my child was a new student at St. Matthew's, the children treated her like she had known all of the kids for her whole life. She has many good friends at St. Matthew's. As for the food, the children get a selection of SUBWAY sandwiches, PANDA EXPRESS chinese food, and once every 2 months they get IN-AND-OUT. They also get a choice of Beth's Kitchen, where the food is very good. Also, they don't even have to have any of the food! They could bring a lunch from home if they wanted to. The curriculum is very engaging and fun. But at the same time, it's a fun challenge for the kids. St. Matthew's is a great school.

- submitted by a parent

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